I’m here in Pittsburgh for Quilt Market. I absolutely love this quilting world. Everyone is so friendly! As I was headed to baggage claim on the tram, I look to my left and see a woman who looks like she’s a Quilt Market attendee also (thousands of both quilt retailers as well as mfgs/vendors attend). …
Spent Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday (April 24th, 25th and 26th) as a vendor at the Gamble Garden Tour. As always, I love my time spent sitting amongst my product and selling my wares. This was a great venue. The Gamble Garden is located in Palo Alto. It’s a charming old home built in the …
Has it really been 2 weeks since I last did a blog post? How can that be?? I tell myself that I’m going to get better about “blogging” but along with my journal, I don’t write as much as I want to. In my defense, I will say that Words and Watercolors is keeping me …
It’s all about promotion. I was reading MORE magazine last night and saw a contest so I entered! It was a beauty, style, substance contest. I figure I could have lots of exposure if I could win something like this! You had to upload an image and write a 350 word essay (that took a …
What a week it’s been! We got home Monday night from a trip to Florida and our key wouldn’t work in our front door. A very old lock that finally, stubbornly refused to let us in. It was 11:30pm, west coast time and we’d been adjusted to east coast time so were not happy campers …
My heart literally skipped a beat as I walked into the de Young, the San Francisco Art Museum, and saw a colorful display of my boxed notes and list pads! I could hardly talk as I tried to explain to my cousin and her husband, who were visiting from Seattle, how I had met with …
Like the Atlanta gift show held earlier in January, that also last 5 days, it was a loooong 5 days in Vegas the end of January. The first 3 days passed quickly as many folks were walking the aisles. I shared a 20′ x 10′ booth with two other artists/card mfgs. Susan Schmitt has a …
I was reminded of the importance of writing in my blog when I talked to a new friend this morning. I met Rosetta through Facebook last year. We share quite a bit in common besides our love of art/watercolors. She’s currently evaluating how to get her art out to the world. Self-publish or license? There’s …
What a way to start the year…joining the tens of thousands of people who descend on Atlanta for the Gift Show. The temps opened January 9th. I flew in on the 7th, set up the booth with Cheryl Karpen of Gently Spoken (we shared a booth) on the 8th and on the 9th we …
We celebrated the Winters Solstice with our annual party on the Eve, Friday night the 21st. So much fun, as always, to share food and drink with friends and then go outside to do our ritual of releasing and embracing! Michaela, a very powerful Reiki Master and Shaman, led us in the ceremony. Anyone can …
OMG, I posted an entry on Saturday, December 7th with the same title. It got lost in the transfer of hosting sites. The entry was all about my frustration with technology. I do not “get” technology. I do not feel comfortable with having to learn new things that have to do with technology. And I’m …
Lately I’ve had problems sleeping through the night. A common issue with women of a certain age (menopause). Sometimes, like now, I get up and do things using the quiet early morning hours to be productive (if reading Facebook could be called productive!) other times I toss and turn, try to meditate, count backwards from …
I can’t wait for the January Gift Shows! I’ll be leaving here on the 7th to fly to Atlanta. The Gift Show starts on the 9th. Been a busy little bee creating new images for cards, boxed notes and list pads. Now they are headed to the printers so I can have them ready to …
Words and Watercolors started out as greeting cards and I’ve been lucky enough to grow into other product (my boxed notes, list pads, wrapping paper) as well as license my art for coasters and quilting fabric. I’m getting back to basics right now as I work on designing NEW cards. My discipline of doing a …
Just completed my first Quilt Market in Houston. A great experience. Made new friends, met lots of people and sold not only my product but directed lots of quilters to the Clothworks booth, which was located in the aisle behind mine, where they ordered my fabric! Both from the “Nature’s Glory” collection which was released …
I have to say, I’m so pea-picken proud of myself…just returned from picking up collated copies of my book with the title of: Imagine the Life you want to Live, then Live It! (It’s that Simple). Subtitle is: 52 inspired ideas to open up your imagination, tap into your creativity and unlock your inner genius. …
Thrilled beyond belief to have the actual fabric to show from “Nature’s Glory”…my first quilting fabric collection!! The Diablo Valley Quilt show is this weekend. I had just received the fabric needed to make the quilt that Clothworks, mfg of the quilt fabric, put together for promotion piece. I relished each and every one of …
Last Saturday I was spending the night in Roseberg, OR. My last night out on the road. I couldn’t wait to return home to my husband, cats and routine. I had a wonderful trip to the NW but I was gone for 10 days, which was a few days too long! Highlights of the trip …
I’m heading up to the NW tomorrow. Can’t wait to get up to summer weather, not to mention hanging with Emily (I’m staying with my daughter in Seattle) and visiting many friends plus kids. Tomorrow will be a looooong day of driving. All the way to Portland (10-11 hours). I’ve never done that all in …
All packed and ready to go + seeing through the fog! Read More »
The SF Summer Gift Show ended on Tuesday. As I noted after the February show, I can tell that I’ve been in this industry for awhile now as I look forward to meeting up with people I see at the show, vendors, reps and buyers. As far as shows go, this was a slow …
I am waaaaay behind in writing posts. I think about it but the thinking doesn’t correspond with actually clicking on the login to website and add new post…instead I think and then move on to some other task forgetting about posting a blog…the cycle continues till I’m almost embarrassed to finally write…it’s been too long. …
A little over a year ago I had a little sit down with myself…some brainstorming was in order as I was working through the direction of Words and Watercolors. I pulled out a big Newsprint pad, my colored makers and started scribbling, both words and drawings on the pages. I wrote down goals and envisioned, …
New Website: Wow! I can’t believe it…after months and months, literally, my revised website is up and running…it looks alot like the old site but it has been enhanced in many ways that you can’t see. The check out process should be easier. You can now, finally, purchase all the new product that I’ve introduced …
I am so excited to be introducing yet another product in the Words and Watercolor line up…..(drum roll)….wrapping paper!! And not just any wrapping paper but wrapping paper that could also be a poster!! I’ve been looking at wrapping paper for a long time. Initially thought of doing this in the typical fashion, small images …
I just completed another challenge. I did a 1/2 hour watercolor sketch of my St. Francis statue. I wouldn’t say it’s my best work nor will it be a greeting card someday but it is something on paper that I completed! It’s practice. It’s discipline. It’s a New Year and a time for new habits …
Being an Entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. It is easy for me to revert to overwhelm. I’m in a bit of it at this moment but choosing to write about it, in addition to reminding myself of the power of plain old breathing. Breathing allows for movement, which is what I need …
learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable! Read More »
So happy to report that I’m stepping into a NEW YEAR with Lots of FOCUS and plans for tons of SALES!! How is this possible you ask?? I’ve just joined the Focused Sales family! It was official on Monday, December 3rd as I did a Powerpoint Presentation on a WebX Conference call to all their …
“How can I differentiate myself?” The question I wrote in my notebook on my flight home to Indiana last month. I was flying home for my nephew’s wedding but also, always one to make the most out of a trip, had been able to talk myself into an appt with a calendar publisher in Indianapolis. …
I had no idea when I started using some baseball analogy in this blog that our San Francisco Giants would go all the way this season…not only clinching the West early but then winning the National League Pennant and then easily sweeping the Detroit Tigers for the 2nd World Series Championship in 3 years. It …
It’s emotional, for me at least, as I read the SF Chronicle the past 2 mornings my eyes almost brim with tears. There is SO much emotions in the stories…from the fans, the history of baseball in the city, the past championships, the reminder of Buster Posey proclaiming 2 years ago at the World Series …
I had intended to write last week after the Giants managed to do the unthinkable and win the last 3 games of their Series with the Reds. That improbable win streak allowed them to head off to the Pennant race…trying to win the National League Championship. Alas, I didn’t write and what was such a …
In keeping with my Baseball analogy…the Giants just advanced to Game 5 in the series with the Cincinnati Reds and I’m advancing with production of New Cards as well as Reprinting cards that are running low. I was doing Press Checks this afternoon for reprints while the proofs for 8 new cards were waiting for …
This isn’t quite timely as I intended to write this Sunday after the SF Giants clinched the Western Division title on Saturday night. Of course, my baseball loving husband was estatic that we made it to the playoffs, again…hoping for another miracle October and play in the World Series. I, however, thought of the metaphor …
On Monday night I attended a meeting of the BALA (Bay Area Licensing Artists) and Surface Pattern Design Guild. The topic was on using Social Media for expanding your business. There was a panel discussion with 3 women, all who had lots of experience with various forms of social media. I learned that twitter wasn’t …
It was a busy week starting with a Watercolor Workshop I did at Prospector’s Nursery last week (September 8th). I had SO much fun as did the 25 women who signed up, many who hadn’t “played” with watercolors ever nor let their inner artist out since 3rd grade!! I began by asking everyone to …
workshop, new product ideas and computer challenges Read More »
It’s Labor Day, September 3rd. I suggested to Mark that we have a cook-out as summer begins now in the city! The rest of the country shows signs of fall and yet our best months, September and October, are coming to San Francisco! The fog, wind and chill of August receding, thank God! Hopefully Words …
Funny, the other day I began to say to myself, “I’m growing organically!”…and yesterday I got an order from Green Earth Natural Food, an organic grocery store!! Two days prior I had a phone message from Stacia, a woman in Opelika, Alabama, a small town outside of Auburn. She said she was interested in purchasing …
In keeping with the SF Giants, who beat the Rockies today 9-3 with a Buster Posey Home Run (yes, I’m married to a guy who loves the Giants and I’ve come to learn more about baseball as a result!), Sarah and I hit a Home Run with our Memo List Pads!! The SF Gift Show …
I can’t wait to show you my NEW product! Don’t have a photo yet but I should soon as these go to press tomorrow. This happened waaaay faster than I anticipated. Sarah and I were batting around ideas for new product that we could introduce for the January shows. We were thinking Journals. Then I …
One of my goals this year was to have representation in every state by June. I didn’t make it. It was a lot more difficult than I would have thought to find reps that want to take on a new line. I’ve been learning ALOT about this crazy gift industry since starting my company 2 …